Aeroplane.



M. E. CURTISS.

AEROPLANE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. e, 1913.

1 ,184,521. Patented May 23,1916. /2 /2 l WITNESSES @vqg Km w i 71: (Z) a 4-1, I ATTORNEY 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' MYRQN E. CURTISS, OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

AEROPLANE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MYRON E. CUR'nss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State adjustment while in the air whether in motion or otherwise.

A still further object of' my invention is to provide a simple and more effective aeroplane of this character having certain details of structure, hereinafter more fully describedn In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved aeroplane showing the three planes in their nor mal position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1 Fig. 3' is an end view similar to Fig. 1, showing the plane in a position to maintain the aeroplane in. its equilibrium. Fig. 4 is an end view similar to Fig. 1, showing the wing plane thrown upwardly. Fig. 5 is an end view showing the wing plane thrown slightly downwardly. Fig. 6 is an end view showing the machine in equilibrium, but showing one wing plane thrown upwardly and one downwardly.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 represents' theframe of my improved aeroplane which is mounted upon wheels 2, in any convenient .or suitable manner, as is well understoodby those skilled in the art'and need not be described in detail. The frame 1,- at its forward and rear ends is provided with the vertical rods 3 and 4:, rotatable supported by the frame at the center or intermediate the sides. These rods, as shown, are braced from the sides of the frame bymeans ofwires 5, and are further braced by suitable fore and aft braces 6, between their Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented May 23, 1916.

Application filed March 6, 1913. Serial No. 752,458.

upper ends. These rods, as shown, are screw threaded throughout their uppermost ends and on whichare vertically movable the two'blocks 8 and 8'. A shaft'or brace 9 extends lengthwise of the frame and is rotatably carried at its forward and rear ends within said blocks 8 and 8, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Rigidly carried by-the shaft 9 is a central plane 10. This section 10, as showh, is rigidly attached to the shaft and the latter being pivotally blocks Sand 8, said blocks being vertically movable by the rotation of the rods 3 and 4, which may be accomplished in any desired manner, it will be seen that this central plane may-be raised or lowered. By this structureit will also be seen that the central plane may have its forward or rear end raised or lowered as desired, and whileI ,have shown this form to accomplish this movement of the central plane, it is evident that many other forms may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The central plane or section lOis rigidly suspended from the shaft 9, as heretofore -mounted within the vertically movabledescribed, and suspended from the plane by means of rods 11 is a frame 11, which supports the"load and which consists of the operator, motor, or other necessary machinery used for propelling the aeroplane.

. This frame 11 .being rigidly carried by the central plane or section 10, it will be seen that said plane is always maintained in a horizontal position owingto the oscillation of the load. This operation takes place without affecting the position of the frame 1. The central plane or section 10, at each side, has pivotally hinged thereto at 10' m any suitable manner the second side planes or sections 12 and 12, thus producing a complete plane comprising three sections which may be designated as two flapping and one balancing planes. Each flapping plane has a second pivotal support approximately one third of its length out from the hinged support, which consists of a rod 13 pivotally attached to the under side of the 'plane and either adjustably or otherwise supported from the frame 1.

tegral with the frame and the flapping of i the planes depends entirely upon the vertical movement of the intermediate plane 10.

The frame 1 carries a rear extension 16, which carries a tail or steering device. This extension 16 may support a smaller dupli-' cate of the main planes.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have produced an automatically balancing aeroplane, that is one in which the load will in all positions tendto right the plane and maintain its normal position and also one that may be readily adjusted by the operator to assume any position desiredwithout interfering with the automatic operation of the device.

As an illustration of the automatic opera tion of the plane, attention is directed to Fig. 3 of the drawings in'which the frame 1 is shown as diverted from its normal position. It will be seen that the seat ofthe operator illustrating the load remains in a vertical position, it being pivotally suspended from the frame as above described and the intermediate plane 10 being rigid with the load will also remain normal and at right angles thereto. Now the edges of the center plane or section 10 being pivotally attached to the side planes or wings 12 and 12 will tilt them to the position shown, that is raise the inner edge of 12 and depress the inner edge of 12, which will produce just the desired condition to assist in restoring to normal the machine. The air will be compressed within the apex of the cone formed intermediate the wing 12 and the center section and will be spilled from beneath the wing 12 which will in mediately right the machine and the more extreme the conditions the more forcible the righting action which is obvious.

It is understood that'the point of union intermediate the side wings and the center, wing is covered with a flexible air-tight covering so as not to leak air through the union. This same adjustment of plane may be brought about, if so desired, by the operation of the levers let, as illustrated in Fig. 4,which would eventually position the frame 1, as shown in Fig. 3, when the plane comes to normal which adjustment might be desired in the event of landing upon or alighting from an inclined base such as a sidehill or the like. Other adjustments of the plane are illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 both of which as illustrated in these views or by vertical adjustment of the pivoted bearings of the wings by means of the levers 1 L if so preferred. The various advantages of these forms of' adjustment are too well known to require relating here.

While I have shown the load as suspended from the central section of the plane, thus bringing the center of gravity'well below the plane, it is evident the same may be located in any relative position desired, even entirely above the central plane so long as the latter is operated thereby and they are pivotally attached to the frame of themachine. This form of self balancing hinged plane may be applied to any design of air craft either as an auxiliary balancing means or as an inherent part of'the sustaining plane.

Having thusdescribed my invention, what "I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An. aeroplane comprising a frame, a plane pivotally mounted thereon at its center, a propelling.and carrying mechanism suspended and carried by the plane, the said mechanism serving as a balancing means for holding the. plane in a. horizontal position, auxiliary balancing planes pivotally mounted to opposite sides of the firstmentioned plane, the said balancing planes and the frame of the aeroplane connected.

2. 'An aeroplane comprising a frame, a plane pivotally mountedthereupon, a combined propelling and carrying mechanism suspended and carried by the said plane, the said mechanism providing a balancing means for holding the said plane in a horizontal position, auxiliary balancing planes pivotally mounted at opposite sides of the first-mentioned plane, and means carried by the frame of the aeroplane for moving the said auxiliary balancing plane.

3. An aeroplane comprising a frame, a plane pivotally mounted thereupon, a propelling and carrying mechanism suspended below and carried by the'said plane, the said mechanism providing a balancing means for holding the plane in a horizontal position, auxiliary balancing planes pivotally mounted to the first-mentioned plane, the said balancing planes and the frame of the aeroplane connected whereby the said planes will be moved in opposite directions when the said perpendicular.

4. An aeroplane comprising a frame, a plane pivotally mounted thereupon, a combined carrying and propelling mechanism frame swings away from the suspended and carried by the said plane,

said mechanism providing a means for holding the said plane in a horizontal position,

auxiliary balancing planes pivotally mounted to opposite sides of the plane, and connections between the said auxiliary planes and the aeroplane frame providing means whereby the said planes are moved in opposite directions away from the perpendicular as the aeroplane frame swings on its pivot away from the perpenfirst-mentioned dicular, the parts arranged as and 'for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' MYRON E. GURTISS'. Witnesses: JOHN F. MCKENNA, JAMES A. WHARTON. 

